


The White Gecko

by orphan_account



Category: From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series, sethkate - Fandom
Genre: F/M, SethKate - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-21
Updated: 2018-07-16
Packaged: 2019-05-26 15:50:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,547
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15004190
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: After the 3rd Season Finale...Kate, Richie, and Seth just pulled off their first bank robbery together as The Tres Geckos. Richie's having the time of his life, but Seth and Kate start to become worried of the growing feelings between the two of them, and what it could mean for their future as a team.





	1. The Tres Geckos

The gun goes off, and it’s Christmas Day for Seth. The surprised gasps and shrieks are like Christmas carolers, the second gunshot Santa’s sleigh bell. His present waiting for him just around the bend.  
Seth Gecko’s childhood Christmases weren’t exactly traditional. Or memorable.  
But it wasn’t Christmas. It wasn’t even December. It was better. This was the day he robbed a bank he had been scouring for weeks with his most trusted partners. The first place they had pulled a job together and that, in his head, deserved its own holiday.  
“Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen!” Seth bellowed, his voice level and professional as he and Richie forced the people to the carpeted floor with the point of their guns. “Do me a favor and try to place your face to the carpet, please. Very nice. Feel free to file a complaint with your Customer Service agent when we’re finished. In the meantime, everybody just be cool.”  
The infamous Gecko Brothers turned the corner, swiveling their guns forward toward the poor, pretty blonde teller girl.  
Seth felt her before he even saw her. He sensed her presence the second he walked into the bank, her gorgeous eyes following him as he wished his could have followed hers.  
It was her idea to enter the bank first, scoping out the scene. Even now, after all the shit they’ve been through, she still carried the energy of an innocent girl. No one would assume, or even believe, that she was more than that. That she was dangerous.  
That she was the third Gecko.  
The beautiful young accomplice stepped between her and Richie, smooth and confident in a cotton white dress, silk scarlet hair, and cat-eye sunglasses.  
Poker-faced, she raised her pistol in her black gloved hand.  
“You,” she said, slightly tilting her head, “be cool.”  
A sly smirk broke across her face, looking sexy as hell, and Seth changed his mind.  
He didn’t want the money as his present. He wanted her.  
Seth wanted Kate.  
…  
Kate fell into the back of Seth’s sleek Impala, her heart pounding so loud it drowned out her partner’s voices. By the look on their faces, and the idiotic one on her own, she knew that they succeeded.  
“Kate.”  
She jolted at the sound of Seth’s voice, how it was powerful enough to silence her heart. He glanced back at her, his eyes holding a certain wariness. “How are you feeling?”  
“Good,” she answered honestly. “Great. I feel…exhilarated.”  
Seth rewarded her with a relieved smile. It had taken weeks of persuasion for Kate to convince Seth that she was ready to be his partner again. Richie was on board almost instantly.  
Not that Seth took too kindly to his brother’s Devil-May-Care attitude when it came to Kate’s safety. But she showed him that she was different. They all were.  
Weren’t they?  
Not for the first time, Kate pondered on what her life would have been like if the Gecko Brothers hadn’t kidnapped her and her family. For one, her father would still be alive and Scott wouldn’t be an immortal snake-monster. But she couldn’t blame Seth and Richie for that.  
They didn’t murder her family. She had actually trusted them from the moment she pulled her head out of the motel’s pool water and faced Richie. Though, she supposed, she probably shouldn’t have.  
She was a preacher’s daughter, for Christ’s sake, taking a cigarette from a complete stranger. And here she was with that stranger instead of, oh, running away.  
Kate was good at that. The whole running thing. She was good at many things, now. Working with guns, running a cult, overcoming death twice, even managing to learn some basic Spanish. She wasn’t, however, a very good Christian.  
Not since The Titty Twister. Since then she had become something, had done things, that she wouldn’t have ever considered. Instead of allowing those memories haunt her, weigh her down, she sought for comfort.  
She sought for the only absolution she knew of in a generic wannabe Taco Bell, ripping down each other’s throats entering the restaurant as she forced herself to finish a barely edible Toilet Taco.  
Kate noticed them first, but it was hard not to notice someone whose voice expanded for half a block. And of course they hadn’t changed at all. Arguing, undeniably handsome in their business suits. A ridiculous outfit to wear in Mexico but why should a girl complain about eye candy? Though she didn’t mind Seth in casual wear either.  
Seth was the rugged, suave dark and handsome man. Richie, well, he was cute and Kate had been interested in him first. Interested enough to kiss him. But it had been years since then. Over a year since they last saw each other.  
Would they even recognize her?  
They had. Seth’s eyes tore away from his brother seconds after stepping into the “restaurant” and latched onto Kate and for awhile, the world stood still.  
Kate wouldn’t lie. She had been trying to find them. A girl gets lonely and, eventually, begins to realize the place she belongs. It’s hard to find the place if it’s constantly moving. But now that the place, the guys, were here, she was terrified that they would turn her away.  
Seth had done it before with ease. Simply abandoned her on the side of the road.  
Part of that was your fault, too, she scolded herself. Besides, she didn’t want to rehash any dark memories. She wanted to start new. Did they?  
“Kate.”  
She shivered at the sound of Seth’s voice, breaking frozen time and returning things to motion.  
“Kate?” Richie turned and reacted much quicker than his brother had. Almost instantly he was before Kate, surprised. “What are you doing here?”  
“I’m, uh, eating.”  
“Alone?” Seth joined in disapprovingly.  
“Yes…” she trailed.  
“We can talk over food.” Richie bolted to the counter without taking Seth’s request. But Seth didn’t seem to care.  
Seth’s eyes drank her in and she shifted uncomfortably. Kate wasn’t exactly dressed to impress. Unlike the last time when they parted, when she was decked out like a badass biker, she wore a bland tourist t-shirt and stained, worn-out jeans with scuffed tennis shoes.  
Seth looked excellent, as usual. How he could not break a sweat in that two-piece suit was beyond Kate.  
“Where’s Scott?” Seth asked.  
“I don’t know,” Kate answered, unashamed. Her younger brother had been sweet enough to give her the opportunity to join him on a road-trip to Anywhere. But things were different. Scott would always have a huge place in her heart and she truly believed that someday they would meet again. But right now, she wanted to find herself.  
And she was pretty sure she finally had.  
“You’re alone?”  
“Yeah.”  
Seth collapsed on the booth across from her. “For how long?”  
“Since we last saw each other.”  
There was a pained pause, and Kate could see Seth wrecking himself inside with dozens of imaginings.  
“Hey,” Kate reached forward and grabbed Seth’s arm, “I’m fine. I’m right here.”  
She swallowed and added tentatively, almost suggestively, “Can I come with you?”  
Seth remained staring at her but this time, Kate knew it was because of other concerns.  
Richie landed beside Seth, dropping their wrapped crap before them.  
He sighed in satisfaction and looked forward at Kate. “So, Seth, are we kidnappin’ Kate again?”  
Seth shook his head, staking Kate in the heart. “Yeah, we’re kidnappin’ Kate again.”  
Kate startled awake to the sound of tapping against the window. It was dark now, the sky a navy blue, and Seth was a welcome shadow peering toward her.  
Seth held up a card and Kate unlocked her door.  
“Got your room key.” Seth dropped it in her palm and slammed the passenger door shut behind her.  
“My own room?” she asked with an arch brow.  
“Obviously.”  
“You don’t have to. Seriously-”  
“Kate,” Seth interrupted wearily, “we’ve gone over this about a thousand times.”  
Kate followed Seth. “You used to share a room with me.”  
His tense body was barely visible.  
“That was different,” he argued tightly. “That was just the two of us.”  
“You don’t trust Richie?” Kate arched her eyebrow.  
“Why are we even arguin’ about this? I thought girl’ loved having their own room!”  
“Their own bed,” she corrected though she couldn’t discount Seth. “I just…I feel left out.”  
Seth stopped walking and looked back at her. “How can you feel left out?”  
Kate flailed her arms in the air. “I-I don’t know. It’s just, while I’m in my room, who knows what you guys are doing.”  
“Sleeping,” Seth promised.  
Her eyes narrowed in disbelief.  
“You think we have pillow fights?” He smiled grimly at the thought.  
She stepped forward and reached out for the hem of his shirt, tugging like a lost child. “I just feel lonely.”  
Seth reached out and pulled her into his chest. It was hard but it was warm and smelt good.  
“You did good today, partner,” he said over her head. “We’ll celebrate tomorrow.”  
“Not tonight?” Kate glanced up at Seth with pleading eyes.  
“No.”  
Her eyes darkened. “Why not? We did the job today. We should celebrate today!”  
“Because it’s late. Why are you being so stubborn?”  
Kate glowered. “Where’s Richie?”  
Seth looked reluctant to say, which is all he needed to.  
“Yeah, you see?! If Richie gets to celebrate, I do too!” Kate shouts, determined.  
Seth rolled his eyes. “I guess we can go to a gas station and buy some candy-”  
“No!” Kate stood back and grinned mischeviously. “I wanna drink.”  
Seth blinked. “No.”  
Her smile wiped away. “Please, Seth.”  
“Absolutely no fuckin’ way. You’re not twenty-one.”  
Kate rolled her eyes. “So I can hold a gun and rob a bank but not break a bottle?”  
“Kate, lower your voi-”  
“I’ll be twenty-one in a month!” Kate crossed her arms. “Don’t make me wait weeks to celebrate today.”  
...

Seth watched Kate, bemused, as she tested the waters of her first beer. Obviously, the flavor was not to her liking.  
“Seriously, Kate. Let’s just go see a movie-”  
“No,” she interrupted, her eyes narrowed in determination. “I wanna do this.”  
Seth ate the bowl of dry pretzels, unhappy with his partner’s decision. Mostly unhappy with his willingness to go along with it. If he wanted to, he could’ve easily picked her and carried her to her motel room and trapped her there.  
Her insistence of drinking, of sleeping in the same room, of touching him, was a divine irritation.  
Seth rubbed his hands over his face, down his facial hair, and glanced around the bar for Richie or, hell, Jesus. Someone to intervene.  
But this wasn’t the kind of place Richie went to, which is exactly why Kate was brought here. Kate may think she knew the brothers, but she really didn’t. Not the depth of their darkness.  
For her, Seth could do, could be, anything. For anyone else, who the fuck cared?  
This girl. The girl sitting in front of him, pretending to enjoy her beer while taking the smallest sips with the longest intervals, was driving him up the wall.  
Seth’s eyed her hands, aching to peel off the gloves and kiss the heel of her palm all the way to her shoulder. She was so soft, so delicate, but strong, too.  
“I’ll be twenty-one in a month!” her voice rang in his head.  
He didn’t want to think about that. Seth could allow himself to think many things, acknowledge his feelings, but he refused to fantasize. Fantasizing his hands fisting in her hair, of her body pressed against his, was forbidden. And he didn’t like the idea of putting an expiration date on her unavailability.  
Kate was important to him. He wasn’t going to fuck that up.  
“Can I try something different?” Kate asked Seth.  
“Yeah, sure.” Seth called over the waitress. “But take off those gloves.”  
To be fair, her entire outfit was a distraction, but those gloves were making this a whole lot worse.  
Kate peeled them off the way he imagined he’d remove them with his teeth and reached for a pretzel.  
“We should probably order something to eat for tonight, too,” Seth added and Kate flashed him a glorious smile.  
“Dessert, too.”  
Seth arched an eyebrow.  
“What? It’s not like we can’t afford it.” Kate fluttered her eyes innocently. “And every celebration comes with dessert. Everyone knows that.”  
“Everyone?”  
“Everyone.”  
“Guess I’m not everyone.”  
Kate smirked. “No, you’re not.”  
…  
Seth gently set Kate on her bed, wincing as he knew that tomorrow she would be waking up with a vicious hangover.  
She wasn’t a wild or lively drunk. She was tame and, actually, rather easy to handle. Which made the situation even worse for Seth.  
She splayed on the bed in her white dress like a sleeping angel, her auburn hair splayed like colored water across the bed. Kate looked so fragile, so small, so young.  
Twenty-one in a few months? He couldn’t believe it.  
She let out a sigh that sent shivers up his spine.  
“Okay, Partner,” Seth said as he began to tuck her light body in the covers, “time for bed.”  
She smiled with her eyes closed. “I love it when you call me that.”  
“When I call you what?”  
“Partner.” Kate blindly reached up to touch his face but ended up connecting with air. “I love it.”  
With a steady heart, Seth grabbed her hand and slowly lowered it her side. “Go to bed. I’ll see you in the morning.”  
“Don’t.”  
The word was so softly spoken Seth almost didn’t hear it.  
“Don’t leave me,” she whispered, her eyes open now. “I’m so lonely.”  
Seth sat beside her. “I’m right here. I’ll stay until you fall asleep.”  
“No. Stay.”  
“I will.”  
Kate shook her head, as if he wasn’t understanding, and maybe he wasn’t. Drunks had their own language.  
She tugged on his shirt, eyeing him imploringly, and he frowned.  
Just until she falls asleep, he warned himself.  
“Alright, fine. You win.”  
Seth glanced around the room, as if expecting someone watching and jumping out to lecture him. But they were alone, and to Kate’s glee, he rolled to her side, purposely staying above the blankets.  
She didn’t mind. The fact that he was there seemed to be enough.  
Kate slid over until she was burrowed into his tense chest and he was an inch close from jumping up and leaving right then.  
She looked so peaceful, so happy, that Seth didn’t have it in him. Especially knowing that tomorrow morning she was going to look far from either.  
He reached out and toyed with her hair, twisting and brushing it, counting the sighs she made as she finally faded into slumber.  
It was time for him to get up. Time for him to go to his and Richie’s room right next door. Richie could be there, maybe, maybe not. What mattered was Kate wouldn’t be there. She’d be here, and Seth was too selfish, too wrapped up in the thoughts of how often will this happen. How many opportunities will he have to stay in the same room with her?  
This is probably the only time.  
So he stayed, forgoing the promise he made to himself, and continued to touch her hair.  
Today was definitely his Christmas.


	2. Orange Juice

“What did he do to you?” Richie asked with an amused smile.  
“Nothing.” Kate collapsed against the bathtub, the toilet purring as it swallowed her vomit. The stench made her queasy, as had the sight of orange juice.   
An invisible dagger pierced her cranium as she attempted to remember last night. Seth took her out, she drank and then, well, obviously he had to have taken her back to her room.  
She woke up alone which meant that Seth must’ve dropped her on the bed and turned to his own.   
If Richie hadn’t woken her with his steady knocking, she’d probably be safe from the torment of her hangover for a little while longer.  
Her eyes wandered to Richie, the question of where he had gone last night hanging on her tongue. But when she saw him standing so nonchalantly, observing her as if she was a new discovery, irritation overwhelmed Kate.  
“So I take it you’re not ready to leave?” Richie teased.   
Kate’s response was a stern slam of the bathroom door in Richie’s face.  
“Get out, Richie!” she hollered, flipping on the shower.  
The noise of artificial rainfall drowned out any sign of Richie actually obeying her command, but Kate had no reason to doubt he’d left.  
At the mercy of morning sickness, she was tired and sweaty and gross. Kate had no energy and she’d need a lot if she was to be with the Gecko brothers.  
Kate peeled off her white dress, underwear, and stepped into the tub. She dipped her head into the scalding water, feeling it massage the headache away.  
“So I take it you’re not ready to leave?”  
Kate scowled at Richie’s words. Of course she was ready. Mentally, at least. She had been looking forward to Cancun since it had been decided as their location of vacation. Their real celebration for their first robbery as a team.   
No way was Kate going to be satisfied with last night’s few drinks in some nameless restaurant with only half of her squad. No, they were going to celebrate big.  
Kate’s thoughts dragged further back to when they were deciding what to do with the stolen money.  
“We can save it,” she had suggested only to be answered with blank stares.  
“We should decide what to do with it after we get it,” Seth determined.  
“What’s to decide? Obviously we’re gonna spend it,” Richie argued.  
“On what?” Kate retorted. “A house?”  
Richie shrugged. “It’s our first time pullin’ a bank job together. I think we should celebrate that.”  
Seth turned and asked Kate seriously, “Kate, what do you want to do?”  
Aside from saving it? How would someone celebrate with hundreds of thousands of dollars? Where would they go?  
Kate’s eyes lit. “Cancun.”  
“Cancun?” Richie repeated, unimpressed. “Really?”  
“Like El Rey was any better,” Seth snide at his brother.  
Richie considered the idea in silence, amping Kate’s anxiety. She had never been to Cancun before. What if Cancun was an overhyped illusion?  
Kate would be mortified.   
She waited for the brothers to reject her idea. But they didn’t.  
“Fine. Cancun it is,” Richie declared and Seth shot Kate a wry smile.  
The Tres Geckos hadn’t discussed what will happen after their honeymoon. Which job to take on next. For now, the idea of having a plan seemed to ruin the enjoyable ambience.  
Not that getting wasted hadn’t ruined the ambience because it did. Hugely. Kate wanted to go to Cancun, not be hindered down by a hangover.  
She turned off the shower and stepped through the steam.  
To hell with her stomach. Come hail or high water, she was going to a sandy paradise and stay in a suite made for a queen.  
Kate brushed her body over with a towel and opened the bathroom door, finding the room hers once more. Resting on her bed was an unopened bottle of chilled water and Advil. Like a fly to a flame she flew to the meds and knocked two pills down her throat with a swig of water.   
With a sigh of relief, Kate padded to her suitcase propped against the wall. Had the brothers brought it in last night or this morning? It didn’t matter, really.   
All that mattered was washing away Drunk Kate and returning to her life of normalcy.  
…  
Seth rested against the railing outside of Kate’s door, a white paper bag clutched in his left hand.   
Waking up beside Kate was like waking up inside of a dream and it was nice. Really nice. But then the situation dawned on him. Where he was, how selfish he had been, how disturbed Kate would feel once waking and finding him.  
So he left smooth and silent like a shadow seeping from her room into his.  
Richie was awake, channel surfing the television on his bed in a sharp suit.  
“Where’d you go last night?” Richie asked.  
“Where’d you go?” Seth countered, essentially ending the topic. They both knew the answers to their questions and neither wanted to address them.  
“I booked a private meet tonight,” Richie informed Seth, eyes locked onto some soap opera.   
Seth shrugged off his jacket. “I thought we were on vacation.”  
The thought was laughable to Seth. The Gecko brothers weren’t capable of taking a break from their lifestyle. Therefor it was hard to be resentful at Richie for going behind his back and setting up a new mission.   
“We’ve got to leave a good impression,” Richie continued evenly.   
“For who and where?” Seth asked.  
“Our possible next hit. Palazzo.” Then Richie added, “It’s a club.”  
“What about Kate?”  
“What about Kate? Obviously, she comes with us.”  
Seth glared at Richie.   
“If you’re worried about how she’ll react, just tell her we’re going partying.” Richie assured. “Can you stop being so damn protective already?”  
“Hard not to be when one of us seems not to give a fuck about Kate.”  
Richie exhaled wearily and glanced at his brother. “Her death wasn’t my fault.”  
“Is that what you’re going to say when it happens again?” Seth asked tightly.  
“No, because it’s not going to happen again. Fuck, Seth, just let it go.” Richie killed the TV.  
Seth eyed his brother as he headed toward the black mini fridge.  
“What’re you doing?” Seth asked.  
“Waking up Kate.” Richie snagged an orange juice. “It’s late.”  
“Don’t.”  
Richie stopped by the door, staring at his brother suspiciously.  
“I didn’t do anything,” Seth assured, irritated that his brother would even suspect him capable. “She just…Fuck, just don’t wake her up, okay?”  
Richie glanced up at the clock on the wall and shook his head.  
“Sorry brother. Time’s wasting.” He threw open the door and paused. “You should change.”  
Seth scowled as Richie abandoned him to harass Kate. Richie wasn’t doing anything wrong. They had planned leaving this motel in twenty minutes.   
Through the thick wall Seth could hear muffled voices and the sound of a door smashing against the wall as it was thrown open. Most likely the bathroom door.  
Seth cringed at the thought of Kate being sick, of Seth allowing her to reach this point.   
He prepared himself for another day before leaving the room for breakfast. A peace offering to give Kate. A peace offering for last night and for tonight when Kate learned that Richie had set up another job. But for all Seth knew, she might be excited about the news.  
It didn’t take long for Seth to find a drive-through with suspiciously low-priced meals. When he reached the motel, he caught sight of Richie smoking on their balcony. Kate was nowhere to be seen.  
Seth delivered her unordered breakfast to her doorstep, too reluctant to knock. He could hear the sound of shuffling inside signaling that Kate was in the process of readying for the day. He hoped she was functioning well enough to handle food. She’d need it.  
Seth was disturbed by the idea of taking Kate to a club. Last club he remembered taking her to she ended up killing her father and was tortured by blood-thirsty monsters.   
Not that he hadn’t had a shit-filled time there himself. The Titty Twister may have paired them together, but it also royally fucked them over.  
Seth consoled himself that the club his brother spoke of was an ordinary human-filled club.  
He hoped.  
The door swung open without warning and Seth’s heart stuttered.  
Kate’s eyes widened at the sight of him and she smiled awkwardly. She stood in a black tank top, frayed jean shorts, and weathered tennis shoes. Her hair was pulled in a ponytail. A rare style, and Seth took the opportunity to enjoy its brief existence.   
Her skin was smooth and fair as a porcelain doll and Seth struggled to resist touching her.   
“Morning, Kate,” Seth managed to say.  
“Good morning, Seth,” she responded. Her attention dropped to the bag in his hand. “Is that for me?”  
“It’s your breakfast.”  
She frowned and he added, “You won’t be able to make the trip on an empty stomach.”  
“What is it?” Fear and curiosity tainted her voice.  
Seth tossed the bag and Kate caught it. “Nothing extravagant. Eat it before it gets cold.”  
Kate opened the flap and stared inside.  
“Thanks, Seth,” Kate mumbled as Seth bent past her and snatched her suitcase.  
“You got everything?” Seth asked.  
“Uh, yeah.”  
He nodded and politely closed Kate’s door behind them. “Let’s go to my room.”  
“Did you eat breakfast?” Kate asked as they entered Richie and Seth’s motel room.  
“I’m not hungry,” Seth answered truthfully. “Sit at the table.”  
Kate obeyed and unwrapped her egg sandwich. Cautious, she nibbled at her meal in hopes not to upset her disgruntled stomach.  
Her eyes flickered to Richie who remained on the balcony polishing off his cigarette.  
“Thanks for the Advil and water,” Kate said suddenly.  
“Advil and water?” Seth repeated, confused.  
“Don’t give him credit for something I did.” Richie entered the room, straightening his tie.  
“Sorry. Aren’t you hot?” Kate inquired.  
“No. Are you?” Richie glanced at Seth in his new two-piece suit of the day.  
Seth was sun irritated, but appearances mattered to him. If he was truly meant to relax in a hotel all day, he’d wear a wife beater and jeans with pleasure.   
“No,” Seth answered.  
Kate frowned. “Maybe I underdressed…”  
“You’re fine. You’ll be shopping later anyway,” Richie said.  
“What for?”  
“It’s always nice to have a new wardrobe.” Richie exchanged a look with Seth. “And there’s someone I want you to meet tonight.”  
Kate arched an eyebrow. “I thought we weren’t planning any jobs until after vacation. Is vacation already over?”  
“Of course not,” Seth assured.  
“Think of it as a side experiment. Just some research. We won’t be doing anything until we’re done with our vacation,” Richie promised.  
“And when is our vacation done? I’m guessing there’s a deadline, now.”  
“Two weeks.”  
Kate swallowed the last bite of her breakfast, her face a blank slate. It was impossible for Seth to tell what her thoughts on the situation was.  
“Okay then.” Kate looked at Richie. “What’s the plan?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The SethxKate development may seem slow but I promise it'll get fast soon. 
> 
> Chapters will be updated at least once a week. Maybe more, depending on what's going on in my life. Nothing is signed in blood though, so if I am delayed I promise it's for a good reason.
> 
> You're all amazing, thanks for the support!


	3. The Replacement

Kate locked herself into the black sandals, the heel boosting her a good few inches higher.  
“You look stunning,” one of the retail saleswomen gushed.  
Kate frowned. She didn’t feel stunning. She felt tired and irritable and sore. After a few hours of trying on dresses, one starts to become numb to the glamour and greatness of it all.   
She wanted to move comfortably, to enjoy herself tonight. Glancing at the body-length mirrors that curved around her left side, Kate wasn’t dressed for comfort. In an outrageously fitted martini spaghetti strapped dress that sliced off barely beneath her ass, accessorized with only stilettos, she felt like a prostitute.  
This wasn’t Kate.  
“You need a new face. And some jewelry. There is a store-”  
“Kate,” a voice interrupted the overzealous woman.  
Excited and panicked, Kate whirled her attention to the man that had entered the clothing store. By the look on Seth’s face, she was unsure of whether to bolt back into the dressing room or remain where she stood.   
He was surprised. And why wouldn’t he? But was it a good surprise? Was it a Wow-Kate-Is-So-Beautiful surprise or was it a Wow-Kate-Looks-Like-a-Cheap-Slut?  
His dark eyes raked over her body, sending sweet shivers. “What the hell are you wearing?”  
Kate’s stomach dropped. So, it was the latter surprise.  
She flushed and fumbled to come up with an excuse but, really, what excuse was there? As soon as she put on the dress she should have tossed it onto the Rejected Mountain of others. But it was getting late, she was running out of time, and they were going to a club. Wasn’t this how people dressed? Shamelessly? Not that Kate had a shameless bone in her body.  
Oh God, she wouldn’t be able to do this, would she?  
Seth turned his attention to the woman nearest to Kate and bit, “Don’t you have pants?”  
Kate was sure if Seth was any other man, he would have been laughed at. But this was a Gecko, and a livid one at that.  
“Sir,” she began tentatively, “this is a dress store.”  
“Then do you have anything longer?” Seth’s eyes briefly landed on Kate, almost reluctantly, and she wondered if she looked really that bad. Slutty, yeah, but ugly? She didn’t think so.  
“She’s just a kid,” Seth added and Kate’s insecurity vanished.  
Her eyes narrowed and lips curled inwards. He still looks at her as if she’s a child. Why? How?   
Kate opened her mouth to lecture him but withheld herself. It would only exhaust her, and this wasn’t the time to argue.  
“I’m not changing,” Kate settled to say before the poor saleswoman could answer Seth.  
Her partner reluctantly turned to her. “What?”  
“I’m not changing,” she repeated.   
“Do you like the dress?” he asked challengingly, mutely saying, I know you don’t. It’s not you.  
Kate scowled. “It’s the best of the ones I’ve tried on.”  
“You can’t seriously be wanting to go out tonight dressed like that.”  
Kate inhaled sharply. “Do I look that bad?”  
Seth paled. “No! No, of course not. You look-Well, you know how you look and I’m worried-”  
“Stop being worried!” Kate shrieked. “Honestly, you act as if you’re my dad.”  
A chilled silence blanketed over them, hostile and somber. It wasn’t a rule, but discussing the past wasn’t something they did. Memory lane was closed for the Gecko family. At least the memories that Kate shared with them. And she was fine with that. Really, she was. Why would she want to relive those nightmares? Those murders?   
Seth had protected Kate as best as he could. But he couldn’t have protected her from her father. He couldn’t protect her from what happened. And she can dodge it and bury it but it’s still there. Her dad was once alive and when he was, he hated the Gecko brothers, and with good reason. And yet, here they were, taking his place and treating Kate as if she was six-years-old.   
Richie probably would’ve been able to handle Kate’s petty outburst better. He was good at overlooking and dismissing insults or comments he didn’t agree with.   
But Seth cared. He cared about Kate and Richie a lot. She knew that and she took advantage of it. Seth was Atlas, trying to take responsibility of everything for everyone. Mentioning her father, forcing that horrific past upon them with the knowledge that Kate wouldn’t have been an orphan if Seth hadn’t kidnapped her family, was devastating.  
Seth wouldn’t have had to be Kate’s dad if he hadn’t inadvertently caused the death of her real one.  
“I’m sorry,” Kate mumbled, “I didn’t mean it.”  
Seth turned from her, unwilling to believe or accept her apology. “Just get the fuckin’ dress. I’ll wait outside.”  
…  
Seth perused the jewelry store with Kate by his side, this time dressed in modest jeans and t-shirt. He hated that dress. Hated that hundreds of men were going to be leering at Kate tonight. Hated that they fought because of the dress. Hated the store for owning the damned thing, for showing it to Kate when she obviously didn’t care for that style.  
It wasn’t her. She knew that. And somehow when Seth tried to help she staked him in the heart with one of her stilettos.   
Since then, it had been awkward as hell between the two of them. Kate was clearly wrapped up in anxious guilt but Seth wasn’t sure how to move on from her accusation.  
Honestly, it wasn’t her father that got to him. Yeah, his death was awful. But-not that Seth would ever admit it-he didn’t care about the old man. He never had and never will. They weren’t close and had known each other for only a few days. Any remorse Seth felt over Kate’s dad was because he was Kate’s dad, and that was all.  
No. What really messed him up was that Kate accused him of being like her dad. A dad! God, if there was any evidence Kate had only platonic feelings for him, this was it. No woman would compare someone they were interested in to their father unless they were fucked up.  
Kate wasn’t that fucked up.  
Seth sighed inside. Why did it even matter to him? He had made the decision to not touch her. But the truth still hurt.   
“What about this?” Kate asked, pointing at a simple silver ring with small rubies curved over it.   
Pretty. Simple. Kate’s style.  
“Get it,” Seth said. “But we need more.”  
“More?”  
“Like that.” Seth pointed at a gaudy ring with a cluster of stones attached to the front.  
Kate scowled-as he predicted she would-and asked, “Why that?”  
“If you punch someone, I want it to hurt,” he explained. Seth knew there was no “if”. Someday tonight, Kate may need to protect herself. He’d be there, of course, hovering over her like a shadow. But snakes always found their way and Kate needed to be able to cut someone down. A hand gloved with sharpened stone should do the job.  
“My normal punches don’t hurt?” Kate asked, prompting a small smile from Seth.  
She was a poor fighter. But where she was physically weak, she was strong-minded. Devilishly clever and quick with a gun.   
“Of course they don’t,” Seth answered bluntly, waving down a jeweler who had given them space to discuss.   
“I think they do.” Kate turned from him and stared down at the glass counter. “I think you’re just putting up a front.”  
“A front of what?”  
“How uncool you’d look to get hurt by a girl,” Kate teased.  
“Kate,” Seth leaned on the counter and beamed at her, “nothing could make me look “uncool”.”  
She scoffed and looked away, the ghost of a smile lingering on her face.  
“And you hurt me all the time,” Seth added.  
Kate glanced back. “What was that?”  
“Sir, Madam, have you made any decisions?” the jeweler questioned as he appeared before the two of them.  
Seth pointed down at the collection of rings. “We’ll take every one.”


	4. Palazzo

Kate stared transfixed at the woman in the cage, sliding against the bars with a body that left little to imagination.  
She wasn’t Kisa. Not by a longshot. Not as graceful, not as beautiful. Kisa shut down her entire club with her dances, seducing all like a siren.  
That was the woman Richie fell for. But what about Seth? What did Seth consider a “woman?”  
What would it take for him to see her like that?  
Kate frowned, a wave of blue light ghosting across her face. Why was she so focused on that?  
She should focus on tonight.  
Kate tugged the hem of her black dress-a futile attempt to add more comfortable length-before abandoning Kisa Knockoff.  
The crashing chaos of lights, music and bodies swallowed her, but Kate sensed Seth’s eyes on her…wherever he was. Like a Guardian Angel, he followed her with a presence that gave her confidence.   
Kate resisted glancing over her shoulder and seeing if Seth was there. For Richie’s odd plan, he had them separated.   
There was something suspicious about this theft. It was too sudden, too rushed. Kate wasn’t so upset of their honeymoon being disturbed as concerned for the reason why.  
They didn’t need the money. They were set for years. So…why, Richie? What’s going on?  
“We’re going to Palazzo to meet up with Mikael Wyatt,” Richie had explained back in their shoddy motel.   
“So, another white boy in Cancun partying,” Seth shrugs. “What makes him special?”  
“Because he’s a Wyatt,” Richie enhanced. “The American family with a black hole for a bank account. And Mikael? The prince that’s flushin’ millions of his inheritance down the golden toilet.”  
Kate’s lips twisted. “Why are we robbin’ him? We have enough money.”  
“He’s easy money,” Richie answered flatly. “And easy money is rare, Kate.”  
“So, what’s this meeting about?” Seth asked. “How’d you even get ahold of him?”  
“You want to talk about my friends?” Richie retorted and Seth glared.   
Kate sighed. As much as she disliked the culebras, some were good, one including her brother. But Seth made it clear how far he wanted to get from that dark fantasy and return to familiar solid footing.   
“I don’t want to do a job that’s connected to your little snakes,” Seth sneered.  
Richie groaned. “They’re not even involved. We just talked last night, exchanged some stories-”  
“Stop. Shut it.”  
“Fine. The point is,” Richie turned to Kate, finding it easier to speak looking at her, “I managed to reach Mikael. He’s willing to meet us at the Palazzo.”  
“Why?” Kate quipped.  
“Told him we were friends of Kis-,” Richie caught himself. “Friends of a friend.”  
“And you’re sure he’ll be there?” Seth pressed.  
“He’s a loyal member of Palazzo. Goes there almost every night,” Richie answered. “He’ll be there.”  
“And if he’s not?”  
“Then we’ll find him.”  
“And then what?” Kate intervened. “After our little rendezvous?”  
“We’re just there to talk,” Richie assured. “See what our target is like in person.”  
“What happened to scoping from afar?” Kate inquired.  
“We’re too short on time for that.”  
Seeing the questioning look on Kate’s face, Richie added, “Rumor is Mikael is returning to the states in two weeks. No guarantee but just to be safe.”  
Kate eyed her partner, her best friend, mulling over his proposal. In truth, she found the whole thing sloppy and un-Richie. They pulled bank jobs not petty thefts.   
“We don’t need the money,” Kate informed him sternly.  
“No,” Richie agreed, “but I need to do this.”  
Don’t ask why.  
Seth and Kate seemed to sense Richie’s warning radiate off of him and for once Seth respected him. Eventually, Richie’s secret would come to light, and hopefully the secret wouldn’t be as bad as Kate thinks it may be.  
Kate sighed. “Fine. I’m in.”  
Richie nodded. “Oh, and Kate? He’s goin’ to be expecting me and my bodyguard.”  
He sent an impish smile at his brother who scowled. “You don’t mind lending him to me for the night, do you?”  
Kate’s brows furrowed. “Then what am I doing?”  
“You’re goin’ to scout for any of these faces at the club.” Richie opened his Gallery app and handed his phone over to Kate. “Remember which ones you see but don’t approach or talk to any.”  
“Who are they?” Seth and Kate asked in unison.  
“Not our friends.”  
A rapid flash of strobe lights yanked Kate to present time, back to the Palazzo, where she stood surrounded by strangers. She had assumed her job would be easy enough but the club was ridiculously packed and the clubbers were constantly on the move. IF any of the faces on her list were present, they could have passed her more than once and she wouldn’t have noticed.  
She briefly wondered if Richie found Mikael. This didn’t seem like an appropriate place to meet. But then again, they were just friends catching up. Not business partners making a deal or any sort of meeting that required silence and solitude.  
Again, the sense of unease overcame Kate. Not unease for the safety of Richie. She knew he was fine, especially against some mid-twenty mortal jock.  
No, it was this idiotic plan. Kate shouldn’t be here. She wanted to relax at the haven of her hotel, eating at the French restaurant or having her body kneaded into.   
It was Kate’s turn to be treated like a queen. She had earned it.  
She snaked her way through the crushing bodies, jostled against the beat of a song she couldn’t name, when a face appeared before her.  
A stranger’s face that she recognized on Richie’s phone, standing by the open bar alone, save the countless shot glasses. But…it couldn’t be.  
It was though. Even without being able to check her cell phone, Kate knew the sandy blonde haired, lean man was Mr. Mikael Wyatt.  
He’s not your problem for tonight. Stay away from him, Kate told herself.  
She glanced around in search of Richie or Seth, but they were nowhere. Had they finished talking to him? That was impossible. They had just arrived.   
Stick to the plan, Kate, she thought as her feet began to move forward. Kate. Kate!  
But she dismissed herself and headed straight to the bar.  
...  
Seth’s eyes followed Kate reluctantly, irritably, growing more irritable as he caught sight of men and women turn appreciatively in her direction.   
Fortunately no one had touched her, had talked to her. A miracle, really. Or maybe they sensed a deathly aura radiate behind them when they considered Kate, forcing them to redirect their interest elsewhere.  
“Stay close!” Richie hollered as they wedged their way through the clusters of humans. They looked ridiculous in their suits. As if they worked there, not guests. Not that Seth was in the mood to party. He couldn’t remember the last time he ever even enjoyed clubbing. Drinking and women were great, but dancing? Fuck. That.  
They passed women on poles, guests and professionals, briefly reminding Seth of a woman who only came in his nightmares.  
He had tried to shake it off. Tried to believe his brother knew better. Kisa and Richie broke it off years ago. They never even talked. Seth would know if they were. He would know it.  
Seth knew Richie still had his culebra “friends”. But Kisa? It was over. The two of them together was just a bad aftertaste.  
Richie came to a stop, and Seth paused as well.  
“What?” Seth asked as Richie had remained frozen for a beat too long for normal.  
“…He’s not here,” Richie finally confessed.  
“Who? Wyatt?” Seth asked.  
Richie turned to Seth, concern void on his brother’s face.  
“We’re early,” Richie said blithely, his eyes scanning the scene. “We’ll wait here.”  
Seth frowned and glanced over his brother at a table stocked full of people. None were the faces that Richie had shown him and Kate earlier.  
One of the women sitting, bronze and beautiful, slid to her feet.  
“Want to sit down?” she purred, her long fingers curling around his jacket.  
Seth smiled warmly at the stranger. “Do you know a Mikael Wyatt?”  
Her caramel eyes flashed with confusion, then hurt at the brush off of her offer.  
“Who?”  
“Blonde hair, white, tall, rich. American,” Richie added.  
Her attention reluctantly drew to Richie and she shook her head. “Haven’t seen him.”  
“Never?”  
She paused, searching her memory, then shook her head.   
“Want to sit with us?” the girl repeated again to Seth, more insistent.   
“We’ve a friend to wait for,” Seth answered kindly.  
“You can wait here,” she countered reasonably.  
She really was a beautiful woman. With a body blessed by Venus, dressed in a flattering short jean skirt and white crop top, she wasn’t an easy girl to resist. But Seth did.  
Awhile ago maybe he would have enjoyed harmless flirting. But this woman, this gorgeous woman with her hands on him, felt like being touched by air. There was nothing. No lust, no charge of the slightest interest.   
The perfect woman could walk into the club right now and it wouldn’t matter. Kate was the woman he wanted now. Kate didn’t have to touch him to make him crazy. She just had to exist.  
“Sorry,” Seth answered, gently prying the girl’s hands off of him. “I’ve got a girl.”  
Richie’s eyebrows raised in that response.  
The woman’s smile twisted knowingly. “I’m not surprised.”  
She bent down to her friends, showing off her shapely ass, and spun to Seth again with a pen wielded in her fingers.  
“Here.” The girl scribbled a number on the inner part of his arm. “In case you have any more questions for me.”  
Seth smiled politely, but inwardly planned on washing the ink with the nearest bottle of alcohol he could find. A number tattooed on his skin made him look and feel cheap and, honestly, he didn’t want it.   
She winked and flopped back to her friends, returning to their miniature party.  
Richie read Seth’s arm, including the name that came with it. “So, who’s this girl you’ve got? It can’t be Kate.”  
Seth glanced at his brother’s face, feigning nonchalance but clearly disapproving. Kate was their partner, their friend, their sister…to Richie. Seth could not fuck that up.  
And he wouldn’t. He couldn’t. It was impossible.  
“It was just a lie,” Seth mumbled under breath so “Marissa” wouldn’t be able to hear.  
Richie nodded slightly, accepting this information, as his head turned away.  
“He hasn’t shown,” Seth pointed out. “How long’s it been?”  
“Only a few minutes.”  
“He stood you up.” Seth felt like laughing.   
Richie’s eyes narrowed. “He’s here.”  
“How do you know?”  
“He’s always at the Palazzo.”  
Seth sighed. “And how accurate is your informant?”   
“Very.” Richie stepped back. “Let’s separate. Call me when you find him. Don’t approach him, though. Just see what’s keeping him from meeting us.”  
“He’s at a club. He’s probably drinking and dancing. That’s what people do here,” Seth pointed out.   
Richie flipped Seth off as he left Seth with a fond smile. Richie’s plan was falling apart. Of course it was. He planned this too sudden with someone who wasn’t Seth.   
This was a job they’ll have to walk away from. Seth knew that. Richie will by the end of tonight, too.  
Seth turned and hunted for Kate because, really, she was the one that mattered most right now.


	5. Mikael

“What’s a guy like you doing here alone?” Kate asked as she fell lightly beside Mikael.   
His head jerked to her shocked and, if she didn’t know better, fearfully. When his blurry sight managed to drink in the person beside her, a seemingly harmless girl, he relaxed.  
“I guess I’m just waiting for the right girl.” He slid a shot glass toward Kate and she shook her head. After last night, she had no interest in playing with the Devil’s juice.  
“Don’t you think you’ve had enough?” Kate inquired.  
“I’ve had enough when I’m on the floor.”  
“Sounds dangerous.”  
Mikael scoffed. “I know dangerous and that’s not it.”  
Kate gazed at Mikael, trying to discern the feeling he was emitting. He definitely was not in the mood for partying. He looked distressed, nauseas, anxious, and Kate wanted to help scare those demons away.   
Kate frowned at the shot glass before her, begging to be accepted. With a surrendering exhale, she plucked up the shot and downed it.  
Kate coughed and wheezed, hearing Mikael laugh beside her.  
“Have you never taken a shot before?” he asked.  
“I don’t drink,” she explained. “I don’t like it.”  
“You just need to get used to it.” Mikael flagged down the bartender. “Two more shots!”  
Kate opened her mouth to protest as the glasses slammed before them.  
“Really, you can’t drink this much.”  
“Never have I ever had a super-hot redhead hit on me, scold me on my drinking habits, and not like drinking.” Mikael tipped his drink down his throat. Already the darkness was melting away from him.  
Kate blushed and reluctantly plucked her shot glass.  
“Oh, no, you can’t drink!” he protested. “Unless you’ve been hit on by a redhead who didn’t like drinking.”  
Kate blinked and shook her head.  
“Have you ever played Never Have I Ever?” Mikael asked.  
“No.”  
Mikael whistled. “You’re a good girl. I can tell.”  
“A good girl?” Kate repeated.  
“Aren’t you?” Mikael leaned back to get a full profile of Kate. “A good girl in Cancun. It’s easier to find a unicorn.”  
“Excuse me?”   
“It’s not an insult!” Mikael beamed. “I like good girls.”  
Kate rolled her eyes. “I’m not a good girl.”  
She’s killed people. She’s robbed banks and felt no guilt doing so. In fact, she’s speaking to the man she plans to steal from next. Not a very “good girl” thing to do.  
“Sure, you are!” her drinking partner exclaimed. “What other girl would come over here to just drink with me instead of wanting to fuck me? Unless you do want to fuck me?”  
Kate blushed furiously and he laughed again. “Sorry. It’s the alcohol.”  
He glanced around and asked, “Where’re your friends? You can’t have come here alone.”  
Kate straightened suddenly, anxious.   
Where were Seth and Richie? Had they finally realized that Mikael wasn’t where he was supposed to be? How would they feel if they found her talking to him instead of scoping for the other faces?  
“We got separated. I’m stayin’ here until they find me,” Kate answered. “What about you?”  
“Oh.” Mikael paled. “I guess you could say I’m hiding.”  
Kate’s ears perked. “Hiding? Why?”  
Mikael tilted his head and asked, “If I told you I could give you whatever you wanted, no matter the price, would you leave this place with me?”  
Kate scowled. “I’m not a whore.”  
“I’m not asking you to sleep with me. Just, you know, I don’t know.” Mikael downed another shot and shook his head. “Never mind. Sorry.”  
“Well,” Kate began carefully, “I’d have to say no amount of money could make me leave with a stranger.”  
“No amount of money?” Mikael repeated dubiously.  
“Yeah.”  
“Everyone wants money.”  
“Sure. But not a ton of it. Not me.”  
“I don’t believe it. Not even you can be that much of a good girl.”  
Kate paused, considering her next words carefully. “I can’t buy the things I want now.”  
Mikael considered her confession before replying, “I think I get it.”  
“What do you want?” Kate asked, facing away from him as to make him not feel cornered.  
“Freedom, I guess,” Mikael mumbled.   
“Freedom?” she repeated, baffled.  
“What about you?” Mikael returned and she played with her empty shot glass shyly. “What do you want?”  
Sensing her reluctance, Mikael pressed, “C’mon, I’m a stranger. After tonight, we won’t even see each other again. You can tell me anything and it won’t even matter. I probably won’t even remember!”  
Kate smiled weakly and confessed, “I want to be looked at as a woman.”  
“Excuse me?” Mikael blinked.  
Kate sighed, weary by the fact she’d have to explain. “I have a friend who treats me like a kid.”  
“Right. And you like this friend.”  
“No!”  
Mikael rolled his eyes. “Then why do you care?”  
“Because it’s annoying! How would you feel if your friends didn’t look at you as a-a-a man? Thought you couldn’t-”  
“Handle drinking?” Mikael interrupted wryly. “I guess it would get annoying.”  
Kate threw her hands forward. “See? I don’t know what to do.”  
“Well, you’re not dressing like a kid,” Mikael pointed out.   
“I dress like a slut,” she spat.  
“You look good,” he argued. “How do you usually-you know what? Not important. Are you a virgin?”  
Kate reddened and Mikael gaped. “Well that’s why your “friend” treats you like a kid! Once you’ve lost your virginity, you’re 100 percent fucking woman.”  
Kate panicked at the thought. Sex…sex making a woman. It made sense. Kisa radiated sexuality. But Kate didn’t, couldn’t, even fathom becoming someone half as close as Kisa.   
“There’s got to be another way,” Kate said.  
“Why? What’s wrong with that way? Everyone loves that way.”  
Kate resisted rolling her eyes. Of course a guy like Mikael would think that.  
“I only know two guys in my life,” Kate pointed out, “and sleeping with either of them is not an option.”  
“Why?”  
Why? Well, for starters, she just wasn’t interested. Not that way. Richie was a childish infatuation when they first met and Seth…well, Seth was her first partner. Sex would ruin what the three of them had. Relationships always did. They were a family. That’s how it always would be.  
Richie already put her on their level. All Kate had to focus on was Seth. She didn’t need to lose her innocence for him to treat her differently. She just wanted him to see her as an adult. To see her in a new light.   
Why was she even considering taking advice from a drunken Freddie?  
“It’s just not.”  
“Then…” Mikael straightened, “sleep with me.”  
“What?” Kate paled.   
“C’mon, let’s go.” He reached out for her arm. “Let’s go before my father’s friend comes and takes me back home.”  
“No way!” Kate easily dodged him.  
“You came up to me,” Mikael reminded, the playfulness gone. “A part of you wanted this.”  
“No. You’re drunk. You need to-”  
Mikael leapt forward and snatched Kate, crushing her in his hands. He was strong, stronger than he looked, and all thoughts of defending herself disappeared.  
She was just a deer in headlights, too frozen and dumb to consider running. To screaming or scratching or kicking or even headbutting.   
“Excuse me.” A shadow fell over the two like an ominous cloud, the voice steady and dark. “If you wouldn’t mind taking your hands off her.”  
Mikael glanced up and released Kate, entranced by Seth’s cold expression. Kate fell back slightly, caught by Seth’s comforting hand.  
“Is this your friend?” Mikael sneered at Kate.  
Seth’s eyes dropped to the countless shot glasses scattered on the counter. “Looks like you two had fun.”  
“We were,” Mikael answered.  
“Why not let me join in?” Seth waved down the bartender. “Just one.”  
When the glass was placed before Seth, he offered it to Mikael. “It’s a “Thank you” for watching my partner while I was away.”  
Warily, Mikael accepted the drink. As soon as his head was tilted in the air, Seth’s hand threaded into his sandy locks and slammed his face into the counter.   
The sound of Mikael’s skull crushing into the table made Kate wince. She watched with minor sympathy as he collapsed on the floor.  
It appeared Mikael finally had enough drinks for the night.  
Seth’s hand locked around Kate’s wrist. “Let’s go, Kate.”  
“Wait, Seth-” she protested meekly as she stumbled over her heels. “Richie-”  
But Seth muted her pleads as he dragged her out of the nightclub and down the sidewalk until they were a good distance away from the nightclub.  
Fairly alone, save for the glowing moon, Seth stood rigid before Kate. She tensed, preparing for his wrath with closed eyes.  
“Are you okay?”  
Kate blinked and stared into the pained face of her friend, Seth. Seth, who was so clearly trying to rein in his temper, the desire to return into the club.  
“I’m fine. It was nothing.”   
The last word thoughtlessly said slipped out and echoed in Kate’s head.  
“Nothing?” Seth repeated, stunned. “Nothing. Fine, sure. Then Kate, what do you consider is Something?”  
“I-I don’t know. I just-”  
“You weren’t supposed to talk to him. You weren’t supposed to talk to anyone. You were supposed to-”  
“I know what I was supposed to do! What were you supposed to do?!” Kate retorted unfairly.  
“We stick to our positions. That’s how we get the job done,” Seth responded coolly, irritably. “Do you understand what might have hap-”  
“It wouldn’t have!” Kate assured. “There were so many people in the club! He would’ve been-”  
“Damn it, that’s not the point, Kate! What if this had happened somewhere else, and you were alone with him? Would you have been able to fight him? Would it have been different?” Seth asked. He snatched her wrist and held up her hand, revealing the glint of her rings. “What the hell are these for if you weren’t goin’ to use them!?”  
“Well, decoration, as jewelry usually is for…,” Kate mumbled pathetically.  
They stared into each other’s eyes, filled with fire and misdirected anger.  
Seth was angry. So, so angry. But it wasn’t at Kate. She knew that. He had been mad at her before. But his anger came in short bursts like fireworks that left a memory but no scar.   
Seth would never hurt her. Never. Her safety was always put first. She knew that. And she knew what she did tonight was a mistake from the moment she had stepped in the direction of the bar. It was selfish. She had been acting exactly as Seth had been treating her-a child.  
“I’m sorry,” she said softly, sincerely. “I wasn’t thinking.”  
“Start thinking,” Seth ordered, pained. “Think about what will happen if you don’t use your pretty brain.”  
His hands holding her wrists slid and wrapped around her hands where they clasped tight. Seth dropped his forehead and stamped it against Kate’s.  
They stood like that, holding hands, foreheads pressed together, like a statue of lovers.   
Kate breathed slowly, steadily returning her heartbeat back to its normal pace. Mikael and Seth and Kate’s argument had made her so anxious that her heart was on the verge of collapse.  
“Alright?” Seth asked, almost like a whisper.  
“Alright,” Kate agreed, feeling Seth pull away and be replaced by lukewarm night air.  
Seth was right. She couldn’t rush into things without following their plans. She needed to remain levelheaded. Being recognized as a woman wasn’t important. What was important was still being needed. Still being a member and friend of the Geckos.


End file.
